<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>After the War by etherianheda</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659152">After the War</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherianheda/pseuds/etherianheda'>etherianheda</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Best Friends, Deleted Scenes, Etheria - Freeform, Extended Scene, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Happy, Idiots in Love, Lesbian Disaster Adora (She-Ra), Light Angst, Mild Language, Multi, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Past Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Post-Canon, Post-War, Retelling, Season/Series 05, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5 Spoilers, Teasing, Useless Lesbians</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:20:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,814</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659152</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherianheda/pseuds/etherianheda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adora and Catra have saved the universe from Horde Prime. What now?</p><p>(Direct Continuation and Retelling of Season 5 Episode 13)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora &amp; Bow &amp; Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora &amp; Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Bow/Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>After the War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic has NO RELATION to the fan-made song posted, but it's great! Highly advise you check it out!</p><p>This is also my first fic published on Ao3 so I welcome any feedback. Thank you!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adora stands calmly- almost contemplatively, as she gazes into the distance. The air is simmering with magic, the grass soft beneath her boots, as her eyes well up with tears. Etheria, in all its former glory. Lush, forested mountains dot the view, some even floating midair; rivers flow and curve with the land. Everything seemed so <em>alive. </em>She smiles gently- for the first time since the war started, she was finally able to breathe. To exhale. She was <em>free.</em></p><p>The atmosphere is flooded with rays of light- they warm Adora's face, frame her features in a dazzling shine. A calm breeze flows through her uniform jacket- it carries the scent of wildflowers and fresh dew, and it sends a few strands of hair moving across her skin. She doesn't even bother to tuck her hair behind her ears- she's so mesmerized, so captivated by the view. Her friends chatter excitedly in the background; Entrapta chirping about future experiments to Hordak, Scorpia letting out a hearty guffaw as Perfuma cries with happiness- but the sounds fade away as she's roped in by the perfect picture. Creatures glide through the crisp air, they move through the terrain and heavy foliage as if they'd been waiting for this moment. All the Horde's machinery had been overtaken by green, seeming ancient, like the war was eons in the past. A rainbow is painted across the sky, tucked neatly into the clouds. Etheria was a masterpiece. She could stare at it forever.</p><p>"Adora?"</p><p>She's pulled out of her trance in the best way possible. Adora turns to see the girl she loves, gold and blue eyes brimming with joy as she arrives at her side- an even better work of art. Catra, her best friend, her worst enemy, now her potential partner. The same Catra she thought she'd never get to hold- the one that made her insides twist with so many feelings she could hardly breathe. Adora could barely believe that she was there with her on the Etherian mountainside. A blissful look on her face, she extends her hand to the girl, grasping it when her gesture was returned. She was never going to let go again.</p><p>"It's over. He's gone."</p><p>Adora pulls Catra to her, leaning her forehead against the other woman's. Catra's cropped hair brushes against Adora's skin delicately, and they both close their eyes, basking in the moment.</p><p>"Good riddance," Catra hums, a low, rumbling purr coming from her body.</p><p>They stand together in the light, just the two of them, for what feels like an eternity. No more Horde. No more fighting. No more animosity, no more fury, no hatred, no suffering.</p><p>They hear soft giggles, and then they're tumbling to the ground, taken down by their best friends. They all collapse into a pile, laughing, crying almost, at the relief they're feeling as they look up at Etheria's heavens.</p><p>"So, what are we gonna do now?" Bow perches on his elbow, admiring the three girls fondly.</p><p>Adora surveys the stars and planets she can see; a small breath leaves her lips as a comet darts past. "We can bring magic back to the universe." Her expression morphs into something more determined. "What do you guys say to one more Best Friends Squad road trip?" She grabs Catra's hand as she rises, intertwining their fingers.</p><p>"I'm in!"</p><p>"Obviously!"</p><p>"Of course I'm going with you, dummy."</p><p>Adora's grin stretches from ear to ear as her friends wrap their arms around each other, and her throat tightens when Catra puts a firm hand on the small of her back. "Then let's do this. Together."</p><p>___</p><p>They all smile at each other a moment more, then Adora stretches her muscles above her head, yawning. "But can we relax first?" I've never been more tired in my life." Her hands fly up to adjust her ponytail, fixing any loose parts. Classic Adora.</p><p>Bow chuckles, a knowing look in his eye. "I told you, sleep is important. And what's the hurry? We only have forever." He folds his embrace around Glimmer protectively, smiling down into her eyes.</p><p>"I knew there was something going on with you two," Catra scoffs and cocks her eyebrow, hand on her hip. "Sparkles and Arrow Boy. Has a damn nice ring to it, don't you think, Adora?" she mocks, a toothy grin appearing when the blonde snorted. She was relentless.</p><p>Glimmer glares as she nestles deeper into Bow's arms. "You're one to talk," she fires off. Her eyes travel between Catra and Adora, an increasingly suspicious smirk on her face. "What exactly did happen down there? In the Heart? Last thing we knew was that the fail-safe didn't work. Suddenly, out came She-Ra? Something is missing, here," she trails off, acutely aware of how the two women ogled each other. Glimmer's sneer grew as Catra flushed about three shades of crimson.</p><p>"Catra saved me. She...she stayed with me. I was infected with Prime's virus too, but she got through to me," Adora explained tentatively, as if she was waiting for Catra's approval to say anything more. She gazed at the woman with nothing but affection in her eyes- she was still thinking about what they said, what they did.</p><p>___</p><p>"Don't you get it? I love you! I always have! So please, just this once...<em>stay!</em> Stay."</p><p>Catra <em>loved </em>her. The thought echoed in her mind as she heard Catra's pained cries over her withering body, felt her cheek pressed to her chest. As many times as Adora repeated this to herself, she could hardly grasp the fact that the girl she always stole glances from, the woman whose name was on her lips at night more often than she'd like to admit, the one who she never thought possible for her to feel the same after all they'd been through- she <em>loved</em> her.</p><p>The Heart of Etheria pulsed and writhed above them like a living thing- lighting up the vast room around them with an eerie green. The planet shook as the women faintly heard Horde Prime's roaring prophecy of doom, even from deep below the surface of the ground.</p><p>Adora raised her forearm- like an instinct, her shield formed as a beam of power from the Heart blasted down around them. She grasped Catra's shoulder lightly when the dust settled, as if anything harder would shatter the illusion. Except this was real. This was happening, it wasn't a dream. Her heart pounded in her throat as the woman hovered over her, cradling her neck. She could see nothing else but Catra.</p><p>"You love me?" Adora could only just get the words to form.</p><p>"You're such an idiot," Catra's voice broke. <em>"Of course Adora didn't know," </em>her mind screamed. <em>"Of COURSE she doesn't love me the way I love her. But I told her. I got it out of my system. And hell, if we die here, together, at least-"</em></p><p>"I love you too."</p><p>Catra's eyes widened, her expression in a complete state of shock. Adora loved her back? After all this time? After all she did? Her mind swarmed with questions, doubts, embarrassment, as she searched the woman's face, almost ready to laugh at her stupid joke. But when she was met with the most reassuring, attentive, <em>beautiful </em>eyes she'd ever seen in her life, she allowed herself to believe it.</p><p>Then she found herself leaning in, brushing her thumb against Adora's jawline, tangling her fingers in her silky blonde tresses.</p><p>And they kissed.</p><p>It wasn't like the two had never been intimate- growing up in a repressed environment made the Horde teenagers act out, coming up with any excuse to touch, to grope, to do anything to <em>feel </em>something. They played in groups- truth or dare, spin the ration bottle; they even invented their own games to get a quick thrill.</p><p>But nothing <em>ever </em>felt like this. Adora's mouth crashing against her own, arm wrapped around her waist, the sounds she was making, it drove her absolutely crazy. Her whole body lit up; it felt like she was on fire, as if all the bubbling tension beneath the surface finally boiled.</p><p>Adora breathed Catra in, her hair coming out of its restricted state as their lips met over and over, and she felt something deep within her chest rise. It was magical. Literally. The wounds Prime's creature inflicted slowly faded from her skin as both the women started glowing- the Heart of Etheria reacting the same way, as if their love healed the weapon itself.</p><p>Catra slowly opened her eyes as they finally broke apart- she was now in the arms of She-Ra, but she was still greeted by the same baby blues, the same kiss-swollen lips.</p><p>"Uh...Adora? I think you have a planet to save," the feline murmured against the princess' skin, the purr rolling out of her throat.</p><p>___</p><p>Adora fades back into the present with the sound of her friends harassing each other.</p><p>"So you're saying absolutely nothing happened down there?" Glimmer jabs Catra's shoulder. "You're full of shit."</p><p>"Yep! She-Ra came, healed the planet, whatever, okay? It doesn't matter!" Catra's tail flicked from side to side erratically as she crossed her arms, trying to fight a smirk from forming as she returned Adora's look, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks no matter what she did to stop it.</p><p>"Ah, I see what's going on here." Bow's smile only got bigger as the seconds passed. He looked pointedly at Glimmer, then Catra.</p><p><em>"Catra loves Adora! Catra loves Adora!"</em> They both burst into a singsong voice, sweeping Catra into the middle of their parading steps while Adora looks on, beaming, covering her mouth as she tries not to laugh. The other princesses all whisper and smile among themselves when they see the spectacle.</p><p>"Catra loves Adora!"</p><p>"SPARKLES, I <em>SWEAR</em>, IF YOU DON'T SHUT THE HELL UP-"</p><p>"What? Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of you being in <em>looooove</em>!"</p><p>"Adora, I really am going to kill your friends! Slowly and painfully!" Catra was redder than Adora's jacket.</p><p>"Please don't," Adora snickers.</p><p>Catra manages to worm her way out of their grasp, and she bumps right into her best friend. Adora was always there to catch her. She runs a hand through her hair dramatically and drops her head, sighing, resigned to accept her fate of getting ferociously teased.</p><p>"Hey, Catra," the blonde mutters out of earshot of the others, the smug look on her face softening to a gentle, rosy-cheeked blush. "Can we talk when we get back to the palace?"</p><p>The meaning behind those words usually created a pit of fear in Catra's stomach, but Adora said them with so much care that it was impossible to feel scared or insecure.</p><p>"Yeah, I think I'd like that."</p><p>The others moved closer to them again.</p><p>"Let's go home," Glimmer whispered, smiling at her friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments, questions, concerns, and constructive criticism are all welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read this fic! I will update with more chapters soon if there's enough interest. Rating might change as time progresses- future chapters may have angst/hurt/comfort, possible smut, and more language.</p><p>And no, I'm not Noelle Stevenson. Or am I? ;)</p><p>Dedicated to the Catradora Gigabrain groupchat and discord server! I love these useless lesbians and I love Glimbow/Catradora's dynamic! Tried to get as accurate to actual dialogue as possible.</p><p>Instagram is @etherianheda! No posts but you're welcome to shoot me requests or questions- anything!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>